


Latitude

by zelda_zee



Category: RPF - Lost
Genre: Multi, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 19:53:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zelda_zee/pseuds/zelda_zee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As <i>Lost</i> begins filming, Josh wonders how he'll fit in. As it turns out, rather well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Latitude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ullman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ullman/gifts).



They’ve been filming for a few weeks by the time Josh is called and, even though he’s met most of the cast and crew, he still feels like the new kid in school. By the time he arrives in Hawaii, people have already done the whole ‘get acquainted’ thing and Josh is pretty sure they’re not going to want to go through it all over again for his sake. They seem happy to be there, happy to be in each other’s company. There’s a lot of laughing and joking and teasing, more than Josh has ever seen on any other set. Some friendships already seem pretty well-cemented, and it makes Josh wonder how he’s going to find his place here, whether there’s room for him to fit in. He doesn’t like this feeling of being on the outside, but he’s always been able to get along, so he pastes on a smile and acts like it doesn’t bug him.

The truth is, this whole project is damned intimidating. Not that he’s not thrilled, he is. Landing the role of Sawyer saved his acting career. He’d been trying to work up the courage to face the fact that he was finished and that he’d be selling real estate from here on out when his agent called to tell him he got the role. So he’s damned grateful. It’s just… there are some pretty heavy-hitters in the cast, some people with impressive resumes and lots of experience – movie experience, and not the kinds of movies he’s been attached to. Naveen was in _The English Patient_, for God’s sake. Dom was in _Lord of the Rings_. Terry’s been in more movies than Josh can even remember and apparently Yunjin is some Korean superstar and Harold’s got a list of credits as long as his arm. Matt’s been around forever, and even if Josh can’t remember anything he’s done other than _Party of Five_, there’s just something about the guy. He’s got the whole leading man thing down solid.

True, there are the girls – Evie, Maggie, Emilie. Nobody knows their work. And there’s Josh – nobody knows his either. At least, he hopes not, considering what his oeuvre consists of. 

Josh feels at sea in this crowd of beautiful, talented, _well known_ actors. He’s starting from scratch with a character he doesn’t understand and no one, including him, knows if he’ll actually be able to play the guy. 

Dawn is just breaking the morning he finally arrives at Mokule’ia Beach. As soon as he sees the stretch of sand where they’ve been filming the pilot, he understands why it’s taken them so long to get to the point where he’s needed. The crash scene takes his breath away. He stands there, surveying the enormous fuselage, the debris strewn everywhere, huge hunks of metal, luggage, a wheelchair, clothes, tarps, the dummies they use for dead bodies. It’s so impressive that he can’t look away, and it occurs to him for the first time that this thing is going to be _big_. Somehow, by the grace of God and the whims of Hollywood, he’s found himself on a show that’s got all the earmarks of a hit – a huge, huge hit. Big money, big stars, big names behind the scenes – he’s known all this, but seeing it in the plain light of day drives it home with a force that makes him break out in a sweat and wonder if he’s maybe going to be sick. 

He shakes a cigarette out of his pack, pats his pockets searching for his lighter, but he must’ve left it in the car. 

There’s movement in the corner of his eye and Matt’s there, smiling at him, holding out his lighter. Josh reaches for it but Matt lights it and Josh bends closer, steadying Matt’s hand with his own. He inhales, feels the smoke settle his nerves back down to a manageable level. 

“Thanks, man.” 

Matt just nods toward the beach. “This your first time out here?” 

“Mm-hm.” Josh takes another drag, turning his attention back to the beach. He’s unaccountably nervous, tries not to let it show. Matt’s never really spoken to him before – not that he’s been unfriendly, he’d just never made an effort. Josh tosses his hair back out of his eyes before he catches himself – it’s an annoying habit he’s been trying to break. 

“It’s something, isn’t it?” Matt says. He’s standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the scene laid out before them – chaos in stasis. He looks good up close, better than what Josh has seen of him on screen. He’s got a black t-shirt on that accents his tan and his tattoos and the contours of his chest. Josh tries not to stare. 

“Crazy,” he agrees, takes a drag of his cigarette. He tries to think of something to say that isn’t a one-syllable word and comes up blank. 

“You should see it when we’re filming - with the smoke and the wind and everything. J.J. says it’s supposed to be a vision of Hell and I tell you, it seemed hellish enough to me, running around in it for days.” 

“I bet.” Josh risks a glance over at Matt. They’re almost the same size, must be close to the same age and there’s no reason at all why Josh should have this jittery feeling just being next to the guy, but he does. 

“Well.” Matt looks at him and his smile’s unexpectedly kind. “Welcome aboard.” He laughs at himself, presumably at the cliché, then ducks his head in a way that’s almost shy. It’s a disarming mannerism, and Josh wonders if Matt knows how appealing it is. He pats Josh on the back as he starts to walk away. “Good luck today. Break a leg.” 

“Since I don’t have any lines, I shouldn’t be able to fuck things up too badly,” Josh says, smiling, relieved he at least managed to string a sentence together. 

“You’ll be fine.” Matt stops and turns back to him. “I’m having some people over tonight,” he says. “You should come.” 

“Okay,” Josh says. “Sure.” 

“Leave your swim trunks at home.” Matt’s grinning at him conspiratorially, like he’s just made a joke that he expects Josh to get. 

Josh tilts his head, frowning. “What?” 

Matt laughs. “You’ll see.” And then he’s waylaid by Damon who has a bunch of script revisions and Josh is hauled off to make-up and from that point on the day is a blur -- the most intense day of filming Josh has ever experienced, and all he does is smoke and stand around looking morose and pissed-off. He can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when he actually has something to do. 

~*~ 

The ‘people’ Matt is having over turn out to be the cast and crew. Josh is relieved, because even if he’s only spent a few days with these people, he knows them better than anyone else in Hawaii. He’s had plenty of practice at working rooms full of strangers – can’t survive long in the Industry if you can’t manage that – but it’s not something he enjoys. He relaxes at all the familiar faces, meanders toward the kitchen to find a beer, saying hi to the people he recognizes as he goes. 

“Hey, mate, gimme one of those,” Dom says, as Josh grabs a Kona from the fridge. He hands one to Dom, and then one to Evie, who’s standing there too, close by Dom’s side. Dom’s talking a mile a minute, in the middle of a story about – of all things – some hideous-sounding beetle that’s found only in caves on Molokai. 

“Yeah, so, next chance I get, I’m going out there. Wanna see if I can locate one of those little buggers.” 

“What for?” Josh asks. 

Dom frowns at him, like that’s an unreasonable question. “What do you mean, ‘what for’? Just to see it. It’s a rare thing. It’s _special_.” 

“Oh,” says Josh. He nods like he gets it, but really, not so much. 

“You guys should come.” Dom looks expectantly back and forth between Josh and Evie. 

“Um.” Josh tries to look disappointed. “I think I’ll probably have to work.” 

“I’ll go,” Evie says and Dom looks at her in surprise and then he’s grinning ear to ear. 

“Brilliant!” he says. Josh watches her smile back at Dom a bit shyly, a little flushed, and oh, so that’s how it is between them. “Have I told you lately that you’re perfect?” Dom asks. 

“Not tonight,” she says. 

“I really need to rectify that,” Dom says. “Immediately.” He winks at Josh and tugs Evie out of the kitchen and that’s the last Josh sees of them for a while. 

It turns out that Naveen is a funny fucker who swears like a sailor, Daniel is gregarious and a teller of filthy jokes and Ian is an indiscriminate flirt with, as far as Josh can tell, no discernible preference when it comes to gender. Maggie is pretty much the exact opposite of her character, but Jorge isn’t all that different from his. Emilie giggles like a schoolgirl after two shots of tequila but has a sly smile that makes Josh think she’s faking it, and Harold can pound back the shots and not start slurring until long after the rest of them are thoroughly plastered. 

It’s the best evening Josh has had in ages. Sometime around his fifth or sixth shot, he forgets that he’s the new guy and ends up on the couch squeezed in next to Harold and Terry, trading stories about the horrors of Hollywood and soliciting opinions on whether he should learn to surf and where to find the best sushi on Oahu and, of course, just what the deal is with all these fucked up characters stuck on that bizarre island. 

Later, Josh ends up out on the deck, smoking, with Matt leaning lazily against the railing beside him. Ian, Emilie and Maggie are doing body shots, laughing and stumbling around, hanging all over each other, and Josh tilts his head, wondering. 

“Do you think...?” he begins, then stops. 

Matt chuckles. “Who the fuck knows? Prob’ly. Everybody’s fuckin’ everybody, so –” He gestures vaguely. 

They watch as Maggie lies back in a lounge chair and Emilie licks a long, slow stripe across her stomach beneath her navel, which Ian then sprinkles lightly with salt. 

“I’d say all signs point to yes.” Matt leans in toward Josh, his whole body resting warmly against Josh’s side for a few seconds, before he starts, straightens back up. 

“Everybody’s fucking everybody?” Josh asks. Matt nods slowly, a studious expression on his face, then shakes his head just as slowly. Josh wonders how many shots of tequila Matt’s had. He’s a guy who can clearly hold his liquor, but there’s no doubt he’s got a healthy buzz on. 

“Well, maybe not _everybody_. Just – _most_ everybody.” 

Josh wants to ask Matt who _he’s_ fucking. It seems like the natural continuation of the conversation. But he can’t figure out a way to say it without it seeming like he’s – well, like he’s more interested than he ought to be. Which he is, but he’d die before he’d admit it to Matt or anyone else. 

“There you are,” Naveen says, settling along the railing on the other side of Matt. “Observing the natives in their natural habitat?” He nods towards the three clustered around the lounge chair. Ian’s holding a lime between his teeth and Emilie’s kneeling up over Maggie to take it. Her breasts are right in front of Maggie’s face and, as Josh watches, Maggie presses a rather tender kiss to the soft valley between them. 

“Ah, youth,” Naveen sighs. “Wasted on the young.” 

“Doesn’t look to me like they’re letting it go to waste,” Josh says. The girls drag Ian down onto the lounge chair and start licking and then salting his nipples while he laughs, panting and squirming beneath them. 

“Oh, but they are,” Naveen insists. “You never think you’re letting it happen at the time, but then you look back and realize there were so many things you’d have done differently.” 

“I wouldn’t want to be young again,” Matt states. 

“Fuck, no,” Naveen agrees. “I was such an unholy mess.” 

Josh says nothing. Frankly, he wouldn’t mind it. Being in his thirties is a lot more precarious in his profession. “I had more sex in my twenties,” he murmurs wistfully. 

There’s a sudden shriek from the group around the lounge chair and Ian’s voice pleading, “Don’t bite, you guys! C’mon, no biting!” 

Naveen turns away and leans forward on the railing, lighting a cigarette and then a second one, which he hands to Matt. Matt takes it wordlessly, but his fingers linger against Naveen’s. “Are we swimming?” he asks Matt. 

“Do you want to?” 

“I thought that was the whole point.” 

“‘M too drunk,” Matt says. 

Naveen smiles up at him. “I’m not. I won’t let you drown.” 

Josh notices for the first time that Naveen’s got a bottle of mineral water in his hand instead of a beer and, now that he thinks of it, that’s what he’s been drinking all night. He wonders about that, makes a mental note to ask someone about it, maybe Dom. He seems to know everything about everyone. 

“Come on, Foxy.” Naveen’s smile has turned teasing, his voice wheedling. “I wanna go skinny-dipping.” 

Matt scowls. “Do you have to call me that?” 

Naveen nudges Matt with his shoulder. “Shut up, you know you like it.” 

“Fuck off,” Matt mumbles. 

Naveen leans forward so he can catch Josh’s eye. “Don’t let him fool you,” he says. “He likes it.” 

“It’s stupid. I’m a grown man, I don’t need a nickname.” Matt’s almost pouting, which is a bit ridiculous and a bit adorable. 

“Yes you do. You’re just lucky it’s a cute one.” Naveen tries to pinch Matt’s cheek, but Matt evades him. “And you’d best get accustomed to it, because I’ve got a feeling it’s going to stick.” 

“How come no one else has a nickname?” Matt says, batting Naveen’s hand away. 

Naveen leans in, leering comically. “Because no one else is _foxy_ like you, Foxy.” 

Matt hides his face in his hands, shaking his head. “Fuck it,” he exclaims suddenly. “Let’s go swimming.” 

There’s a collective scramble from the lounge chair and a shout from inside the house and in the space of an instant, everyone’s down the stairs and out on the beach, running full tilt toward the water, flinging items of clothing onto the sand as they go. The sound of shouts and laughter echoes back to where Josh and Naveen still stand on the deck. Matt’s long gone, first one down the stairs, probably the first one into the water. 

“After you,” Naveen says politely, gesturing toward the stairs. 

By the time they get to the shore everyone else is bobbing and floating and splashing at each other. The waves are gentle here in the protected bay where Matt’s rented house is situated. 

“You see,” Naveen explains as he strips off his shirt. “If you’re the last one, they all watch you.” 

Josh looks up and indeed, most of the heads out there in the water are turned curiously toward them. 

He grimaces. “Great.” He’s not modest – you can’t be a model and be modest – but his hands still hesitate at the button of his shorts. “I notice you’re not in any hurry.” 

“That’s because I don’t care,” Naveen says. He disrobes methodically, folding his clothes and stacking them in a neat pile, the only such pile on a beach strewn with haphazardly discarded clothing. “Let them watch.” He gives Josh a wicked smirk and stretches languidly, then saunters unhurriedly toward the water. 

Josh consciously brings his eyebrows back down to their normal level and focuses on not watching Naveen or the people out in the water who are catcalling and shouting lewd things at Naveen and, if Josh were to allow himself to listen, at himself. In the end, he drops everything but his boxers and gallops down the beach past Naveen, whooping as he hits the water. 

Afterward, he and Matt sit side by side on towels that somebody – Josh has no idea who – carted down from the house. They’re sharing a bottle of tequila that one of the ADs handed them as she made her goodbyes. Matt’s still naked, and Josh, whose boxers are soaking wet and cold against his skin, is trying to be cool with that. Emilie had confided to him as they were out there floating beside each other, staring up at the incredible night sky, that Matt was basically a frustrated nudist and that they’re always having to insist that he put some clothes on. Josh rather likes the idea of Matt naked all the time in the abstract, but when he’s sitting right next to the guy, their cool, damp elbows occasionally brushing against each other, it’s damned distracting. 

Still, Josh is fine with it. He was a model, for Christ’s sake. Nudity is no big deal. 

Matt hands Josh the bottle and their fingers touch and Josh nearly jumps out of his skin. 

Yeah, real cool. 

Naveen spreads out a towel beside Josh and flops down on it, brushing his wet hair back from his forehead. Josh is relieved to see that he’s at least wearing underwear. Of course, Naveen is European, which means his underwear is clingy, yellow bikini briefs that don’t leave much to the imagination. 

“Put some fucking clothes on, you disgusting pervert,” Naveen says amiably, tossing Matt’s Marlboro Reds at him and hitting him in the head with them. 

Matt grunts in reply, but makes no move to comply, shakes out a smoke, lights it and hands it wordlessly to Josh, then lights one for himself. 

They’re quiet for a moment. Naveen lies flat on his back, staring up at the sky, his hair fanned out like an inky halo. Matt sighs, eyes on the sea or the horizon or maybe nothing at all. Around them, people have paired off, finding some privacy by putting an expanse of sand between them and their neighbors, the low murmur of indistinct voices carrying across the beach. Up near the house, someone’s lit a bonfire, someone’s playing guitar and there are a couple of drunken voices trying in vain to carry a tune. There’s a breeze that warms rather than chills, the low lapping of waves, a sky full of stars and a half-moon shining like it’s trying to emulate the sun. It’s beautiful and peaceful and Josh is drunk and happy. He _likes _these people, these rowdy, profane, gorgeous, insane people in whose company he’s going to be spending at least the next few months. He’s got the best job of his life, and he’s beginning to suspect that it might even be _fun_. 

“You know what this is?” Matt asks, turning to him. His eyes glitter in the moonlight, dark and warm and a little wild. “This, right here? This is nostalgia in the making. We’re gonna look back on this one day, you know? This very moment. We’re gonna remember it, and we’re gonna feel _something_ \-- something sad, or happy. Or both.” He takes a drag of his cigarette. “I guess that’s the definition of nostalgia” 

There’s a moment of silence. 

“Actually,” says Naveen, sitting up beside Josh. Josh offers him the tequila but Naveen waves him off. “The definition of nostalgia is to return home. From the Greek.” 

“The shit you know,” Matt says, sounding unimpressed. “Where do you come up with that stuff?” 

“It’s the superiority of an English education.” 

Matt huffs and rolls his eyes. “Don’t give me that crap. You hated school.” 

“But I still know more than you, college boy.” 

“Are you guys always like this?” Josh asks. 

They both turn to him. “Like what?” they ask in unison. 

Later, when Josh is getting ready to leave, taxi waiting outside, he realizes he left his shoes on the beach. The house is quiet, though not deserted. There are several people passed out on the couches and the soft sound of a giggle from down the hall. On the beach the bonfire’s died down to glowing coals and Josh recognizes Dom and Evie curled up under a blanket beside it. 

Josh has his eyes on the ground, searching for his sandals, so he almost doesn’t see them before it’s too late. But then he glances up in time to stop before they realize he’s there. And he does, stops and stands and looks, stock still, afraid – unable – to move. 

Naveen’s straddling Matt, leaning forward, head hanging down, one hand braced on the sand by Matt’s shoulder, his yellow underwear nowhere to be seen. The muscles of his other arm flex and Josh realizes that he’s jerking himself off as Matt fucks him and, holy Christ, but he’s got to get out of there before Naveen looks up and sees him. But they’re too focused on each other to notice him, Matt’s feet planted in the sand so he can hump up into Naveen and every time he does Naveen makes a noise, a breathy, vowel-laced grunt. It makes the hair on Josh’s arms – hell, all over his body – stand on end, because it sounds like it feels so _good_. Matt’s skin is pale in the moonlight, his hands white against Naveen’s hips before they curve around behind him to his ass and Naveen moans, moving faster. Matt curls up, leaning on his arm and Josh can hear him. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh fuck,” he says, and then a laugh that turns into a groan. “You’re gonna fuckin’ kill me.” Naveen doesn’t answer, doesn’t show a sign that he even heard and when he tilts his head back and Josh can see his face, eyes shut, mouth slack, he looks completely ecstatic and strangely vulnerable. 

Josh is lightheaded, tingling, turned on and shocked. He makes himself turn away, and then he’s moving fast, wanting to get back to the house, knowing that there’s no way he can let them see him or things will get really weird. 

He’s in the taxi, heading home barefoot, before he takes a breath.

~*~ 

Filming starts on the second act of the pilot and Josh actually has lines. He doesn’t really know who this Sawyer fellow is yet, besides a first-class asshole, but he knows he’d better figure out the guy’s redeeming qualities soon, because otherwise he’s going to end up making him boring and one-dimensional. J.J. says he’s got a tragic past, says the letter is the key, but he hasn’t let Josh in on the whole story yet. There’s what he read for the audition, but J.J. tells him forget that, it’s all being rewritten. 

Josh is nearly convinced he’s going to be killed off anyway. Jack was supposed to go, but they said when they decided to keep him that there had to be a balance and someone was going to bite it before the end of the season. Josh figures Sawyer’s asking for it so much, they must be planning to give the character what he wants. 

Josh doesn’t want to go though. He wants to stay, wants it more than he’s ever wanted anything to do with his career. So he works hard and he doesn’t complain about anything, ever, and he’s nice to everyone – from the girl who gets him coffee and holds his smokes while they’re filming to the endless stream of producers who fly in from LA every other day to check that they’re on track (they are) and under budget (they’re not). 

It’s not hard to do. He’s damned happy to be there and he doesn’t mind who knows it. Every time he’s feeling tired and grumpy and dirty and sweaty he just reminds himself that there’s a completed application for a California real estate agent license still sitting in the top drawer of his desk at home. He came _that_ close to giving up, and this job was his last-second reprieve. He’s grateful, and even if his character’s dead by the end of the season, it’s still been more than he expected. 

They’re setting up for a fight scene, a down and dirty unleashing of violence that Josh suspects is only the first of many to follow. It’s him and Naveen, an all-out grudge match that establishes the virulent animosity between their characters. Gregg, the stunt coordinator, takes them through the choreography a few times, and then leaves them to it, letting them figure out the details on their own. 

Matt’s working on some photography project whenever he’s got a break, and he keeps dancing around them, looking for the perfect angle, shutter snapping furiously. It’s distracting, and Josh can’t help but follow him out of the corner of his eye. He knows he should be able to focus on what he’s supposed to be doing, but being in such close proximity to the two of them takes his mind in another direction. He’s being an idiot, but he can’t shake the memory of what he saw the other night on the beach. 

_Ignore him_, Naveen mouths at him, but it’s no use. Naveen comes at him, and Josh’s attention is on Matt instead of the fight. 

“Fuck off, Foxy,” Naveen finally says, when it becomes clear that Josh isn’t going to be able to focus with the photo-taking going on. “Go annoy someone else. Some of us have actual work to do.” 

“Fine,” Matt says, straightening up and fiddling with one of his lenses. He looks at Naveen from under his lashes. “Let me know when you want me to come and drag him off you.” There’s nothing flirtatious in his tone of voice, but Josh catches a glimpse of Naveen’s quickly suppressed smile. 

They run through the moves a few times. Naveen’s quick and graceful, light on his feet, but he’s also strong and scrappy, not the least bit delicate.  Despite Josh’s advantage in height and weight, he wouldn’t be worried about hurting him, except his concentration’s shot to shit. He mistimes a punch that’s supposed to go wide but instead connects with Naveen’s temple and before Josh can even process that his knuckles are stinging, Naveen’s flat on his ass in the sand. 

“Oh, shit!” Josh drops to the ground beside him. “Fuck, Naveen, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Jesus. I’m really sorry, I don’t know how that happened.” 

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Naveen assures him, wincing and rubbing his head. He reaches up and Josh grabs his hand and hauls him into a sitting position. “Ow.” He rubs his head again. 

“Sorry,” Josh feels awful, but he can’t think of anything else to say. 

A crowd of people starts to gather, but Naveen waves them off. “I’m fine, really,” he says. “Go back to work.” Josh is relieved when they seem satisfied enough that their Iraqi is undamaged to return to what they were doing. 

“I fucked up,” he says. “I came in too soon with the punch.” 

“Shit, it’s a good thing we were just practicing.” Naveen squints up at him. “I wouldn’t want to fight with you for real, mate.” 

Josh reaches out and gently pushes Naveen’s hair back just to check, but there’s no mark. “I don’t get in fights,” he says. “Never been in a fight in my life. Make love, not war, that’s what I say.” 

He catches Naveen’s eyes, sees that he’s watching him with a funny expression on his face – partly curious and partly amused – and he quickly draws his hand back. 

“You know,” Naveen says slowly, as if he’s thinking about every word before he lets it out of his mouth. “If you want to get in Foxy’s pants, you don’t have to fight me for him. I’m perfectly willing to share.” 

Josh freezes, except for his mouth, which drops open. “I – I don’t,” he stammers, his face flooding with heat. “I don’t – You got it wrong, I don’t –” 

“I know you saw us. Know you stood and watched too. You thought I didn’t see you, didn’t you?” Naveen leans in close, so close that Josh can smell him – sweat and some woodsy scent that might be deodorant or cologne – and whispers, like it’s a secret, “You forget – I’m an _actor_.” 

Josh remembers the sight of Naveen’s face, so totally lost to everything around him – only apparently not so lost that he didn’t know they had an audience. Josh can’t think of a thing to say, any way to get himself out of this mess, not with Naveen so certain of what he’d seen. For a minute Josh’s vision actually grays out, and he wonders if he’s going to do something utterly humiliating like faint or throw up. 

“I was looking for my shoes,” he manages. God, he can’t meet Naveen’s eyes, can’t even look at him. “I left them on the beach. I didn’t mean to – to. It just happened and I didn’t know what to do.” 

“So you watched?” 

“No! Just for a min– a _second_! Just ‘til I realized what I was… seeing. I didn’t mean to.” He buries his face in his hands with a groan. “Oh God, I’m so fucked.” 

He looks up when he hears Naveen laugh. “What?” 

“Nothing,” but he giggles again. “Oh, all right. I was just thinking it was really me who was fucked, but I figured it would make you uncomfortable if I said it.” He shrugs. “Oh well.” 

Josh does indeed feel uncomfortable, although Naveen finding humor in the situation is preferable to him being angry. 

Josh hears Gregg calling them, and so apparently does Naveen, because he grabs Josh’s arm and pulls him in and says hurriedly. “I meant what I said. About sharing. Think about it.” And then he’s on his feet and brushing himself off and turning to Gregg who’s saying something about Sawyer throwing sand in Sayid’s face but who the hell can focus on that? Josh’s head is spinning. He’s embarrassed and freaked out and, God help him, a little turned on by the whole thing. 

“Hey, I’m sorry, but I need a break,” he says. “Can we take five?” 

“Yeah, okay,” Gregg says. He doesn’t look happy about it, but Josh never asks for anything, so he doesn’t really have grounds to refuse him. Josh spares one glance for Naveen, who’s watching him thoughtfully, and makes a beeline for his trailer. 

Josh has only had time to do a few deep breathing exercises and splash some water on his face when there’s a knock on the trailer door. _They’re really taking ‘take five’ literally_, Josh thinks, and shouts, “I’m on my way!” 

“It’s me.” The door opens and Matt pokes his head in. “Are you decent?” 

“Yeah, come in,” Josh says, drying his face with a towel as he comes out of the bathroom. “What’s up?” 

Matt makes his way over to the counter by the little kitchenette and leans back on it. Sawyer’s lighter is laying on the orange Formica by his hip and he picks it up, flicks it a couple of times before he speaks. 

“Naveen told me what he said to you.” 

Josh swallows. He reaches out surreptitiously and holds onto the flimsy door jamb behind him, just to ground himself. So Matt knows too. Josh takes a second to pray for a hole to open up in the floor, right beneath his feet. Oblivion is sounding pretty good at the moment. 

“He shouldn’t have done that, especially not during filming.” 

“It’s okay,” Josh mumbles, staring at a stain on the carpeting next to Matt’s boot. He shrugs. “Threw me a bit, that’s all.” 

“Naveen’s a pretty enthusiastic guy,” Matt says. “Once he gets an idea in his head, he has a hard time putting on the brakes.” He sighs. “He should have waited until we weren’t on set.” 

“Really, it’s no – he should have – wait, what?” 

“He should have waited,” Matt says. “Until the right time. So.” He shoves his hands down in his pockets. “We’re sorry about that.” 

Josh just stares at him, not sure what he’s hearing. 

“But we still want you to think about it.” He pushes off the counter, comes to stand in front of Josh. He reaches up slowly, holding Josh’s eyes, giving him time to move away if he wants to, and runs the back of his knuckles lightly down Josh’s bare arm. It’s startling how keenly Josh feels it, his nerves singing in the path of Matt’s hand. “We want you,” Matt says softly. “If you want us.” He’s watching the trail of goose bumps his fingers made on Josh’s arm, but Josh is watching his face, the strong planes and angles of it, the long lashes laying dark against his cheeks. 

“It could be good.” Matt looks at him and smiles. It’s a private smile, seductive and friendly at the same time, and it’s incredibly effective. “I think –_we_ think – it could be really good.” 

Josh opens his mouth to say something, he’s got no idea what. Probably to agree. He thinks he’d agree to just about anything Matt suggested at the moment. 

“Don’t give us your answer now.” Matt squeezes his wrist and steps away. “Later, after you’ve had some time to think it through.” 

“Okay,” Josh says weakly. 

Matt nods. “Good. Then.” He gestures toward the door. “I’ll just tell them you’ll be out in a few minutes.” 

“Sure thing.”

Josh stares at the door after Matt closes it behind him. His life just took an abrupt turn for the weirder, no doubt about that. And fuck if there aren’t about a zillion reasons why taking Matt and Naveen up on their crazy offer is a bad idea, but the upswelling of giddiness in his stomach and the heat that’s rolling through him and the images that fill his mind and make him close his eyes and groan tell him that he’s going to say yes. Of course, he’s going to say yes. There really isn’t any other possible answer.

~*~ 

Josh is nervous as hell as he makes his way down the overgrown walkway that leads to Matt’s front door. It’s like walking through a jungle, bamboo and banana trees and red-flowered bromeliads, all expertly lit for optimum effect. The door is large, made of dark, weathered wood and it looms in front of him like some kind of mysterious portal to another world. 

Josh tries to resist the temptation to think of it that way. He hesitates before pushing the doorbell, needing just a minute to steady his breathing and slip on his most relaxed and charming smile. There’s no denying he’s got the jitters. He works at projecting a worldly image and sure, he’s had plenty of wild times with women and men both, but this? This is a new one in his book. 

It seems like there are so many ways to fuck this up, so many ways to make an idiot of himself or to have things go sour on the set or to fail to live up to expectations. He’s an unknown factor and kind of a wild card as far as most of the rest of the cast is concerned. He really doesn’t want to let them down, and therefore he should avoid anything that could get in the way of him being able to give the kind of performance that’s expected from him – from everyone involved in _Lost_. And that’s why he should turn around right now, take his bottle of outrageously expensive California Syrah home and sit and drink it alone, secure in the knowledge that he conquered the urge to do something foolhardy and impulsive. 

Except it’s not impulsive. He’s been thinking about it for _days_ and he’s still here. 

His hand is sweaty on the bottle of wine he’s holding. He sighs deeply, tries to release some of the tension in his shoulders, and pushes the doorbell before he can think better of it. 

Matt opens the door almost immediately, and Josh wonders if he’d known that Josh was out there trying to work up the courage to ring the bell. 

“Hey,” Matt says. 

“Hey.” 

“Come on in.” 

Josh hands him the wine and Matt actually takes a moment to look at the label. “Nice,” he says, and it’s silly, but Josh is relieved that his gift has met with approval. “Thank you.” 

Matt looks good, relaxed and comfortable in his skin. He’s wearing black sweats and an old Soundgarden t-shirt, thin and soft from years of wear and he’s barefoot. It hits Josh with a surprising little stab of arousal when he notices. 

“Naveen!” Matt calls. “Josh is here.” He turns to Josh. “We’re glad you came,” he says sincerely. “We weren’t sure if you would.” 

“Oh. Well, I…. Of course. I said I would.” 

“Yeah, but I figured it was 50/50 you’d get cold feet. Wouldn’t blame you if you had. But,” he grins, and ducks his head, a now-familiar mannerism, “it’s good that you didn’t.” 

Just then Naveen emerges from the hall, looking a little flushed, his hair even wilder than usual. He’s wearing an artfully wrinkled white linen shirt and frayed jeans that hang low on his hips and Josh can’t imagine that there’s anything else that could look better on him. 

“Perfect timing,” Naveen says. “I just got everything ready.” 

“Everything?” Josh asks, trying not to sound worried. What could there be to get ready? 

“He means he made the bed,” supplies Matt. 

“Fresh sheets in your honor,” Naveen says. “Come see.” He takes Josh’s hand and twines their fingers together, then drags him down the hall. 

“You want to show me your sheets?” He’s sure he sounds as confused as he feels. 

“We’re taking you to bed,” Matt explains from right behind him. 

“Now?” Josh’s voice is an octave higher than usual. “I just got here.” He glances back at Matt, who smiles at him reassuringly. “You guys are awfully impatient.” 

Matt’s hand is warm on the small of his back. “If we sit around and try to make small talk, it’s just going to be awkward,” he says. “Because where we really want to be is –” he gives Josh a little push into the bedroom, “here.” 

The lights are dimmed, a few candles lit. The French doors are slightly opened, and through them Josh can hear waves crashing on the beach. What steals his attention though is the enormous bed, covers folded neatly down to the foot, smooth white sheets and fat pillows. Josh swallows hard and tries to ignore how fast his heart is beating. 

Naveen turns to him and takes both his hands, walking backwards toward the bed and pulling him along. 

“Fucking first – then talking, eating, drinking – whatever else you want to do.” He loops his arms behind Josh’s neck and draws him down close. “But fucking is definitely first.” 

Naveen’s mouth is volcanically hot, his kiss hungry, aggressive, confident. Josh feels sweat break out on his skin at the first touch of lips, hit by a sudden wave of what feels like a mixture of lust and fear. His hands go to Naveen’s waist, just an unconscious need to steady himself. Then when he feels the warmth of Naveen’s skin through the fabric he can’t stop himself from running his hands up and down Naveen’s sides, learning the shape of his muscles, the curve of his ribs, the slight declivity of his waist, before sliding them around and flattening his palms against Naveen’s back. Josh’s nerves are forgotten at the sweep of tongue over his bottom lip and his mouth drops open. Naveen’s tongue touches his and everything suddenly shifts; hotter, harder, needier. 

Josh feels a hand on his back, traveling up his spine and he shudders, gasps into Naveen’s mouth. He can feel Matt behind him, though they’re not even touching, just body heat warming along the length of him and that hand, moving slowly up his spine to slide into his hair at the base of his neck and then back down again. 

“You guys are so fucking hot,” Matt says, his voice gone low and gravelly, “and you still have all your clothes on.” His hand slides into Josh’s hair again and he tugs, not enough to hurt really, but enough to send a jolt of fire along Josh’s nerves. “Gimme some of that,” he growls, tugging again. Josh has just enough time to catch sight of Naveen’s upturned face, the way he looks, breathless and beautiful, before Matt spins him so he falls none too gracefully against him. But it doesn’t matter because Matt’s pushing him back, dumping him unceremoniously on the bed and coming down after him. He pauses for a few seconds, leaning up over Josh and studying his face, and then he lowers himself until they’re flush and Matt’s weighing him down into the mattress and he feels so good, all heat and hard muscle and harder cock. Josh groans and surges up and Matt grabs one of his wrists, pins it to the bed, kisses him deep and dirty as Josh squirms under him, tongue licking into his mouth like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted. 

Matt sucks on the pulse point just beneath his ear, and Josh arches his neck, giving him all the room he can. He opens his eyes hazily but they focus sharply when they land on Naveen, who’s standing beside the bed, shirtless, watching them, his hand running over the bulge in his jeans. When he sees he has Josh’s attention, he quirks a crooked smile and pops the top button of his jeans open with a flourish, then the others, one after another. 

Josh can’t look away, but Matt is sucking on his neck, leaving bruises that make-up’s going to complain about, and Josh’s eyes keep wanting to fall shut. He keeps them trained on Naveen though, even as he pants and arches against Matt, his hips tilting up, trying to get some friction against his aching dick. 

Naveen slides his jeans down, his cock slapping up against his stomach when it’s freed of its constraint. He takes it in his hand and pulls, stroking slowly, rubbing his thumb across the tip until there’s a smear of wetness there. 

Josh huffs out shaky breaths as he watches, wincing as Matt bites too hard, then moaning when he licks and the pain turns to something else, something hot and sparkling that travels right to his cock. He hooks a knee around Matt’s leg and uses it for leverage, determined to get some pressure against his dick. 

“You really want this, don’t you?” Matt says, his lips moving along Josh’s collarbone. 

“Fuck,” Josh pants, surprised himself at how blindingly turned on he is. “I guess so.” 

Matt nudges Josh’s jaw with his nose so that he turns back to Naveen, who’s watching them with darkened eyes as he slowly strokes his cock. “That what you want?” he asks quietly. “Him?” 

Josh makes a noise that’s embarrassingly close to a whimper and nods. “Not _just_ him,” he murmurs, turning back to look at Matt. 

“Yeah? Good to know.” Matt sits up, straddling his hips, his weight resting on Josh’s dick. He grinds down, moving on him, pressure and friction and everything Josh has been needing. He groans, hips trying to rise up under Matt’s weight, his hands grabbing Matt’s thighs, holding on, fingers digging in hard. 

Naveen’s beside him on the bed, pulling Josh’s shirt up. “Let go,” he says, and Josh has to concentrate to make his fingers release their death grip on Matt’s legs. He raises his arms, lets Naveen pull his shirt off, doesn’t fight it when he holds Josh’s arms above his head, pressed down into the mattress. There’s a moment when everything is quiet, only the sound of harsh breathing breaking the stillness. Matt’s eyes are on him, traveling up his body, then down again. Josh can’t see Naveen without tilting his head back, but he’s pretty sure Naveen is looking his fill as well. 

Matt reaches down and brushes Josh’s nipple with the pad of his thumb and Josh’s breath hitches. Matt brushes it again and again until it stiffens and then he works it between thumb and forefinger – pulling, pinching, circling – until Josh can’t take it anymore and he tries to twist away, but with both of them holding him down he can’t go anywhere. Naveen bends forward, takes the other one in his mouth, licks and sucks, nibbles gently with sharp teeth. Josh arches up, moaning, _Fuck, please_, unable to help himself. 

Matt’s hands are at his belt, and then his jeans and underwear are being dragged down and off, his sandals having already dropped to the floor. Matt gets to his feet and Josh and Naveen both watch as he strips off his clothes, and holy fuck, he’s really something to see. Want rolls through Josh, and he knows it shows in his face and in the way he pulls against Naveen’s hands when Matt crawls back over him and in the way his legs open unconsciously to let him in. Matt crooks him a knowing grin, bends down and licks a stripe up Josh’s cock. 

“Oh fuck,” Josh whispers in something like awe as Matt takes the head of his cock into his mouth and sucks. “_Fuckfuckfuck, oh Jesus_.” He raises his head, needing to see it, Matt’s mouth around him, taking him in, drawing back. Matt doesn’t look at him, doesn’t do anything coy or showy, but it’s still the best blowjob Josh can remember. 

He’s lying full length across the bed, Matt holding his hips in place, Naveen urging him to stretch out farther until he reaches the edge and there’s nothing beneath his head but Naveen’s hand. He lowers it slowly, letting Josh’s neck arch, and then Josh gets it. He’s right at crotch level, looking up Naveen’s body, perfectly positioned for Naveen to fuck his mouth. He moans at the thought, writhes on the bed, accidentally kicking Matt in the side. Matt makes a growling sound around Josh’s cock and pins his leg, one big hand holding him in place. 

“Is this okay?” Naveen asks. He’s holding his cock in one hand, the other still supporting Josh’s neck. He moves closer, rubs the glans against Josh’s lips, making a sharp, hitching sound when Josh licks. “Tell me it’s okay,” he says tightly, pushing the head of his cock into Josh’s mouth, then pulling back. 

Josh can hardly think, not with Matt’s mouth around him, sweet pressure and wicked tongue and so much wetness. He feels high and helpless and out of his head, but he chokes out, “Yes. Please.” And Naveen slides his cock in, slides it in so deep, all the way into Josh’s throat, easy as you please. It takes Josh totally by surprise – there’s a moment of _I can’t do this_, followed by a realization of _oh fuck, I _am _doing this_, followed by a fierce wave of arousal. He moans loudly around Naveen’s cock, thrusts into Matt’s mouth, breathing fast through his nose as Naveen pumps slowly in and out, moving carefully but steadily. Josh tries to lengthen his neck even more, wanting to find out if Naveen can go deeper. It’s funny but Naveen’s supporting hand behind his head makes him feel looked after in a way that’s hardly sexual. Everything else he’s feeling is decidedly sexual though, and he lets it all blend together – the mouth around his cock, the cock fucking his throat, the fingers plucking his nipple, the hands on his thighs, even the feel of the sheet beneath his back. There’s a rhythm to it, perhaps unintentional, but it feels like they’re playing him, like he’s both instrument and song and as it goes on and on he loses himself to it, lets the feeling fill him up and become everything, the totality of his existence for this one fleeting moment. 

Josh makes a desperate, angry sound when Matt pulls back off his cock, thrashing about on the bed, then trying to hold him there by tightening his legs around him. It’s not intentional, just his lizard brain lashing out at the removal of pleasure. He can’t beg for it, not without pushing Naveen off him, and he’s not about to do that, but he wants Matt’s mouth back on his cock in a mindless, needy way that’s beyond his control. He hears Matt say something and Naveen agree, though he doesn’t catch the words, and then Naveen moves carefully away. Josh grabs at his hips to bring him back, but it’s too late. His mouth feels strangely empty as he gasps, drags in a deep breath, then another, then Matt’s hand is behind his head, lifting it and his mouth is on Josh’s, hot and wet and tasting of sex just as much as Josh’s own mouth must. Josh grabs Matt’s arms and holds on, kisses him with everything he’s got. 

“More of this?” Matt asks hoarsely, when he pulls back. “Or something else?” 

Josh just moans incoherently. Fuck, how do they expect him to think – to be able to make decisions – after what they’ve done to him?

“I don’t –” He shakes his head. “Anything. Anything you want.” 

“God,” Matt groans, sliding his dick along Josh’s stomach. “What I fuckin’ want.” He thrusts again, bumping Josh’s cock with his. Josh’s head falls back against Naveen’s chest and he bucks, cock sliding along Matt’s and, with the saliva and precome, it’s a slick, sweet sensation that he just wants to feel again and again. He wraps a leg around Matt’s hips and humps up a few times, before Matt’s head drops to his shoulder and he thrusts and then they’re rocking together, fast and hard. 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Josh says, as Matt takes him by the hips and pulls him all the way onto the bed again. It feels amazing to be manhandled like that. Josh is a big guy and there aren’t very many people who can do that. Fortunately, Matt is one of them. 

He grabs Matt’s ass and pulls him in tight, fingernails digging in, and he knows it must hurt but Matt just hisses and grinds down as Josh rubs up against him. 

He looks over and Naveen’s watching them, wide eyes clouded with lust. Josh’s gaze falls to Naveen’s cock, hard and swollen, and he actually salivates looking at it. He wants it back in his mouth, but he wants this too: Matt moving over him, all that power and strength spread over him, driving him closer and closer to the edge. 

Matt leans on one arm, gets the other hand between them, manages to get it around their cocks, but he can’t quite maintain the rhythm. Josh reaches down to help, but Naveen knocks his hand away. “Let me,” he murmurs. He holds his hand up for Josh to lick the palm and he does, eagerly. 

Naveen grasps them tight in his fist, strokes fast and a little rough, his knuckles rubbing against Josh’s stomach. Matt pushes into it and their cocks are sliding together, bright sparks of sensation that make Josh arch and cry out. A thrill of red hot pleasure snakes down his spine and pools in his pelvis, flowing outward. 

Matt pushes up onto his hands, grabs Naveen behind the neck and kisses him fiercely and it’s the hottest thing Josh has ever seen. Matt groans into Naveen’s mouth and then he wrenches himself away, shuddering, collapses down onto his elbows and Josh can feel his cock pulsing against his, feel it jerk and then the gush of wetness between them. Matt’s teeth sink into the muscle at the base of his neck and Josh squeezes his eyes shut with a gasp as his orgasm coils hot and pulsing in his balls. 

He’s shocked when Matt is suddenly gone, but then there’s a mouth on his cock, sliding down, taking him all the way down and sucking, hot and perfect. He barely has time to reach a trembling hand down to feel not Matt’s close-cropped buzz, but Naveen’s long curls before he comes in a rush of sensation so deep and wide that his voice locks up and he’s perfectly silent, arched and trembling, every muscle tensed. When it releases him he sinks back to the bed with a long, low moan, dazed and dizzy with pleasure, breathing hard, his body tingling with little residual waves of bliss. 

He blinks, and the world comes back into focus. He’s looking at Naveen, who’s leaning back against Matt, cradled in his lap while Matt jerks him off. Naveen’s eyes are on Josh though, burning hot and intense and he’s clearly very close, breath catching in his throat, legs shifting, hips hitching. Josh stares, then his gaze lands on Naveen’s cock and he knows what he wants. 

He rolls over, half-crawls, half-drags himself toward them and Naveen moans, reading his intention. “Fucking Christ,” he grits out as Josh swallows him down -- not all the way like he did before, but Matt’s still jerking him, so it’s fine if Josh just sucks at the head, a little lazily and not terribly coordinated in his post-orgasmic haze. That’s all that’s needed anyway, as Naveen lets loose a shout and pulses into Josh’s mouth. Josh swallows once and pulls back, sinking tiredly onto the bed and letting Matt finish Naveen off. It’s nice to sit back and enjoy the show, nice enough that Josh thinks about maybe suggesting that they just let him watch sometime. 

Of course, that’s assuming that there _is_ a sometime, which no one’s actually suggested as of yet. 

There are a few moments of quiet and then a rustle of bedclothes and Josh opens his eyes to see Matt heading for the bathroom. 

“Hey,” Naveen says. He’s lying on his side, looking sated and content. 

Josh has to clear his throat before he can speak. “Hey.” 

“You can sleep if you want,” Naveen says. 

“What time is it?” It seems late, but Josh had arrived at six and it can’t be more than a couple of hours later. 

“I don’t know. Early still. It doesn’t matter. No work tomorrow.” He sighs luxuriously. “Sweetest three words in the English language.” 

Josh hums his agreement. 

Matt comes back in the room, pulls on his sweatpants and stands looking down at them, hands on his hips. 

“Are you two just gonna laze around for the rest of the night?” he asks. “It’s not even eight o’clock, you know.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Naveen says. “I can barely move. You could at least have the decency to look tired.” 

“I’m not tired,” says Matt. “In fact, I’m gonna go make dinner. Who wants to help?” 

Naveen rolls his eyes. “You’re such a nutter. He’s always like this after sex,” he confides to Josh, as Matt heads down the hall. “Sometimes he actually goes for a _run_.” Naveen grimaces. “It’s too horrible to contemplate.” 

Josh sits up, pushing the hair out of his face. He wants a cigarette something awful, but for a moment he doesn’t move, staring foggily down at the bed until Naveen laughs. 

Josh looks up. “What?” 

“Nothing. You look adorably daft is all. Did we fry a few brain cells?” 

“Yeah.” Josh pushes his hair back again. “I guess you did.” He sighs, looking around the room blankly. “I dunno where I left my smokes.” 

“You have to go outside to smoke,” Naveen says. “Can you believe it? The guy smokes like a chimney, but the house is off limits. It’s a pain, if you ask me.” 

Which is how they end up on the deck, lolling on a lounge chair, watching Matt grill steaks and corn on the cob. Naveen’s leaning back comfortably against Josh’s chest, his hair blowing in Josh’s face. 

“Don’t blame me if your hair catches fire,” Josh says, as it blows into his mouth for the third time while he’s trying to take a drag of his cigarette. 

“I most certainly will,” replies Naveen, but he sits forward and winds his hair into a precarious knot at the back of his head. “Better?” 

“Much, thanks.” At least now Josh doesn’t have to worry about Naveen’s head going up in flames. 

“Don’t forget, well done, Foxy,” Naveen says. 

“Philistine. These are forty dollar steaks. It’s a crime to cook them well done.” 

“He’s trying to give me mad cow disease,” Naveen says. 

“I’m trying to break you of your bad habits,” Matt counters. 

“It’s a cultural divide,” Naveen explains. “Sometimes the gap is just too wide to be bridged. Well done, Foxy.” 

“You’ll take it the way I give it to you.” He shoots Naveen a wicked smile. “And you’ll like it.” 

Naveen sighs happily, wriggling back against Josh. “I do like the way he gives it to me,” he says, loud enough for Matt to hear. He raises his voice to add, “But I still want my steak well done.” 

Josh tunes them out as they continue to bicker. He looks out at the beach, just enough light left in the sky to see the white crests of the waves as they roll toward shore. 

_It can’t be this easy, can it?_ he wonders. He can’t suddenly have everything he’s been wanting, can he? Friends who understand him, lovers who make him burn, work that’s exciting and maybe even important? He’s sure it can’t be this easy. It never has been before. 

_I could get used to this_, he thinks. _But I don’t think I could ever take it for granted_. 

“You okay?” Naveen asks softly, squeezing Josh’s knee. 

“Yeah,” Josh says. “Good. I’m good.” 

“Did we tell you that you’re staying the night?” Matt asks, glancing up from the steaks. 

“I am?” Josh asks. 

“Yep. I bought you a toothbrush and everything.” 

“Wow.” Josh shrugs, trying not to let his grin stretch too wide. “Then I guess I’m staying.” 

Naveen looks at him over his shoulder. “We’re not finished with you yet.” 

Matt chuckles. “Not by a long shot.” He comes over to them and nudges Naveen with his foot. “Get off your lazy ass and set the table.” He leans down and pokes Naveen a few times. Apparently, Naveen’s ticklish, because this causes him to flail around on top of Josh until he almost falls onto the deck. 

“I was comfortable!” Naveen protests. “Josh was being a most obliging pillow.” 

“That’s no way to speak of our guest,” Matt chides. “You’re more to us than just a pillow, Josh, honest.” 

“That’s a relief,” Josh says. “For a minute there I thought you two were only after me for my body.” 

“Oh no, babe,” Naveen says, bending down and planting a kiss on Josh’s forehead. “We love you for your _mind_.” 

“Hurry up,” Matt says, swatting Naveen on the butt. “Dinner’s ready.” 

“Slavedriver,” Naveen grumbles, but he disappears into the house and Josh hears the sound of cabinets banging open. 

Matt’s putting steaks on a platter and Naveen’s complaining about how none of them are cooked enough and Josh sighs. He thinks maybe this is going to be his life now. He thinks maybe it _is_ just that easy. 

“C’mon, Josh, dinner’s getting cold,” Matt calls, and Josh gets up and goes to join them.


End file.
